Page 34 of Fortuity

ChapterThirteen

Dillon

The last fewChristmases had been difficult for me. It’d been Declan’s favorite time of the year—the entire two weeks we got off school for winter break. He’d been like a little kid jazzed up on caffeine and sugar for sixteen days straight. So many of my best memories of him were from over the holidays. Other than the anniversary of the crash, it was when I felt his loss the most. It felt like forever since I’d been able to get into theChristmasmood.

This year was different because it was my first with Faith, and I was determined to make it special for her. She deserved the best, but she’d never really gotten it before. No mounds of presents under a big Christmas tree when she was little. Hell, she’d been lucky to get a tree at all, let alone gifts. I wanted her to have it all, and I went a little overboardorganizingit.

Between ordering a tree, picking out decorations, buying presents, and pestering my mom to bake a bunch of cookies, I channeled some serious holiday spirit. There had even been one moment when I’d been decorating the tree when I thought to myself that Declan would’ve been proud. It was the first time since he’d died that I’d been able to think about him at Christmas time without wanting to gamble. Faith had given that to me, and it was better than any gift moneycouldbuy.

It made everything I’d pulled together for our first holiday as a couple pale incomparison.

Corey, my best friend and partner in crime for the past few years, didn’t seem to agree. “Dude. It looks like Christmas threw up in here. Are you sure you don’t want to pull down some of this shit before Faith gets here and clues into the fact that she’s dating an insaneperson?”

I shoved my elbow into his side. “Fuckoff.”

“You better be careful or else that’s going to be the last thing you say to me before I leave your ass and head toEurope.”

“I still can’t believe you picked this semester to study in Italy and fucked up your graduationplans.”

He swept his arm in an arc. “At least I’ll be able to escape the Winter Wonderland you set up in ourlivingroom.”

“Our?” I quirked an eyebrowathim.

“Hey! I’ve lived here ever since your parents bought the place. That makes it mine as much as yours,right?”

“I don’t think that’s how itworks,man.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Eh, it was worthashot.”

“But I’ll let you lay claim to your bedroom if you want. It’ll still be here if you hate Italy and want to come backearly.”

“Hate Italy?” He reared back in feigned shock. “I was only kinda joking when I said Faith was dating an insane person, but now I realize how right I was. A whole country full of hot babes with sexy accents? What’s nottolove?”

Coming from any other guy, I would’ve believed it. But Corey had gone through a rough breakup over the summer and hadn’t dated anyone else since then. When he’d told me about the semester in Italy, I’d wondered if he was doing it to put half the world between him and his ex. He seemed excited, and I hadn’t wanted to ruin it for him so I kept my trap shut. But I still wanted him to know I had his back, even if half the world separatedustoo.

“Well, if you decide boring American accents are more your thing, the offer stillstands.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” He slapped me on the back before picking up his backpack and rolling his suitcase to the door. “But if the impossible somehow happens, I’ll call first because I’d hate to come back and find out you’ve replaced me with a newroomie.”

“Do you really think I’m going toreplaceyou?”

“With your hot-as-fuck girlfriend? Hell yeah,Ido!”

“Dude,” I chuckled, shaking my head. “It’s been like six weeks. She’s not moving in anytimesoon.”

He swung the door open and turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. “I’m gonna remind you that you said that when I get back and you two are livingtogether.”

I laughed it off at the time, but Corey’s parting words were all I thought about for the next two days. To the point where I almost convinced myself to wrap a spare key and put it under the tree for Faith as an extra present. But then I came to my senses. I figured if she wasn’t comfortable enough with me yet to have sex, then she would freak the fuck out if I asked her to move in with me. So when she came over on Christmas Eve—since I’d convinced my parents to settle for us coming over on Christmas morning—there weren’t any gifts for her to open that would send herrunning.

Everything else was as perfect as I could make it when I opened the door to her. Holiday music was playing through the sound system. The lights on the tree were lit. Christmas cookies were spread out on the kitchen counter. And I had eggnog spiked with bourbon in the fridge. It wasn’t a favorite of mine, but I had to get it because Faith had somehow never tried it before. “Hohoho.”

“Well, hello there.” Her entire face lit up with pleasure when she saw the Santa hat on my head. It had a sprig of mistletoe hanging from a ball on the end. “Is that a hint that I’m supposed to kissSanta?”

“Definitely.”

“Earn your kiss.” She shoved a big, rectangular-shaped present into my hands. “By putting this under the treeforme.”

“Forme?”

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